Smith for lieutenant governor?
There appears to be no end to the speculation about Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith’s next political post.
I guess $1 million in your campaign war chest will do that for you when you’re a term-limited county executive.
Smith’s future was a topic of discussion Tuesday night during the first hour Marc Steiner’s show on WEAA 88.9 FM.
Anthony McCarthy, a former spokesman for Mayor Sheila Dixon who also has a talk show on WEAA, sat in with Steiner as the two interviewed Doug Tallman, State House bureau chief for The Gazette. Tallman wrote a story last week about rumors surrounding Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown’s political future.
You can listen to the discussion on Steiner’s podcast. Converstation about Brown starts about 30 minutes in.
Smith raised more than $1 million in preparation for a run against incumbent Democratic Comptroller Peter Franchot. In July, Smith announced he would not seek that office. All of that money — and the importance of Baltimore County to Gov. Martin O’Malley in 2010 — is leading some to think Smith is in line for something from the current governor, McCarthy mused.
“Some people are saying it’s that lieutenant governor slot,” said McCarthy.
Smith is finishing his second term as county executive and is barred by the County Charter from running for a third.
Smith’s options are fairly limited. Democratic incumbents fill the top slots on the statewide level. Other options have been ruled out by Smith himself.
In previous interviews Smith, a former Circuit Court judge, has said he is not interested in returning to the bench.
A Court of Appeals appointment is unlikely anyway. First, a seat would need to open up. Judges to the state’s highest court are appointed by region. Judge Joseph Murphy was appointed to the Court of Appeals 2nd Appellate Circuit in 2007. At 65, Murphy is five years shy of the mandatory retirement age. Smith is 67 years-old.
All of the money Smith has raised has been through his state campaign account and could not be used for a federal run. In previous interviews, Smith has also said he has no desire to run for a state or federal legislative seat.
Smith may be interested in a cabinet-level seat should O’Malley be re-elected to a second term next fall, a Smith campaign source said in July.
This is not the first time Smith’s name has been mentioned as a potential no. 2 for the O’Malley ticket (assuming Brown were to be appointed to a federal position or seek another office).
Recently, a source within the Smith campaign downplayed talk that the county executive would be on the ticket with O’Malley.
“Two Irish, Catholic, guys from the Baltimore area is not exactly the kind of diversity the Democratic Party is looking for,” the source said.
Smith himself weighed in on the issue this week.
“Lieutenant Governor Brown is doing an outstanding job, and I fully expect him to be (on) Gov. O’Malley’s team in 2010,” said Smith Tuesday night, through Don Mohler, a county spokesman.